In the retail industry, a number of electronic retail terminals are used throughout a retail store. For example, the retail store may include a number of point-of-sale (POS) terminals such as traditional assisted (i.e. clerk-operated) checkout terminals. In addition to assisted point-of-sale terminals, the retail store may also include a number of unassisted point-of-sale terminals such as self-service checkout terminals. Self-service checkout terminals are terminals which are operated by a customer without the assistance of a retail clerk.
Moreover, in addition to point-of-sale terminals, the retail store may also include a number of information retail terminals such as kiosk-type devices. Such information retail terminals a re generally located throughout the shopping area of the retail store and are provided to perform various information retail functions such as a product demonstration retail function. In particular, information retail terminals may be used to display product information to retail customers, or may be used as an interactive retail terminal which provides assistance to customers in response to a customer's input via a keypad or the like.
Retail terminals which have heretofore been designed have a number of drawbacks associated therewith. In particular, retail terminals which have heretofore been designed do not possess the flexibility to perform multiple types of retail functions. For example, retail terminals which have heretofore been designed generally may not possess the flexibility to perform both a product demonstration retail function and a point-of-sale retail function. Hence, it is desirable to provide a retail information terminal which, with minor modification thereof, also functions as a point-of-sale terminal during periods of peak demand.
Moreover, the housings associated with retail terminals which have heretofore been designed are relatively large thereby disadvantageously requiring relatively large amounts of usable surface area or floor space within the retail store. Hence, it is desirable to provide a retail terminal which is relatively compact and has a user-operable electronic module which can be easily moved and mounted at various locations throughout the retail store.
What is needed therefore is a retail terminal which overcomes one or more of the above-mentioned drawbacks. What is also needed is a retail information terminal which also functions as a point-of-sale terminal during periods of peak demand.